17-09-2026

23 posts worldwide take part today in the 8th Green Postal Day, celebrating the contribution of posts to address climate change. Posts have cut their overall annual emissions by over 41% (1) compared to the 2008 baseline, getting closer to their target of reaching a 50% reduction by 2030.

To achieve this result, postal operators focused both on ensuring that electricity used in postal facilities is sourced from renewable energy and on progressively replacing the 735,000-vehicle postal fleet by alternative fuel vehicles. 

Holger Winklbauer, IPC CEO commented: “The need for action has never been greater. At the same time, customer expectations continue to rise. E-retailers and consumers increasingly expect delivery solutions that are not only fast, reliable and affordable, but also sustainable. The postal sector has been responding to these expectations for many years. Long before sustainability became a mainstream business priority, our sector recognised that meaningful progress would require collective action”.

Today, 35% of the postal fleet is composed of alternative-fuel vehicles, and 28% of the postal fleet is electric2. Hence, posts already reached their 2030 target for the electrification of their fleet, five years ahead of schedule. 38% of the electricity used in postal facilities is sourced from renewable energy3. 
Postal operators’ efforts are well recognised by e-retailers worldwide. According to a survey of 2,500 e-retailers in 19 countries4, 70% of them were satisfied with the sustainability performance of the postal operators.   

Carbon Footprint Calculator

To provide clarity and accuracy about the carbon footprint of delivering online purchases, thirteen postal operators5, through International Post Corporation, have taken an additional step to launch the Carbon Footprint Calculator. Already 95 million parcels had their emissions measured through the Carbon Footprint Calculator.

This pioneering new tool allows operators to measure end-to-end emissions at the individual item level, responding to e-retailers’ and their customers’ demand for more transparency.

The tool provides the granular data needed to understand the environmental impact of global postal shipments. It moves beyond general estimates to providing precise, item-level reporting, delivering the transparency needed to make more sustainable choices.

As more postal operators join the tool, the Carbon Footprint Calculator will become the reference for carbon footprint accounting of cross-border delivery and further reinforce postal operators’ sustainability commitment.

2030 targets

  • Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction of 50% from the 2019 baseline of 6,014,000 tonnes 
  • Energy use in own buildings from renewable sources of 75%
  • Vehicle fleet comprising at least 50% alternative fuel vehicles, with at least 25% of the total fleet to be electric vehicles
  • 50% sustainable packaging
  • 75% diversion of waste from landfill to either recycling or reuse.

About Green Postal Day

Green Postal Day is a global campaign initiated by CEOs of posts participating in the IPC Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) programme, aiming to highlight the sustainability commitments made by postal organisations worldwide. 

About the SMMS programme

The IPC Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) was launched in 2019 to address the sustainability objectives of the postal sector for the next ten years, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently 296 posts from America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania participate in the programme. It expands on the 2008-2019 Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS), which focused on reducing carbon emissions, and broadens the remit to the seven sustainability focus areas most relevant for the postal sector:

  • Health and safety 
  • Learning and development 
  • Resource efficiency
  • Climate change
  • Air quality
  • Circular economy
  • Sustainable procurement
Notes:

1.  2025 SMMS results
2.  2025 SMMS results
3.  2025 SMMS results
4.  SME Survey conducted by IPC in May 2026 in Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States. There were 100 or 200 respondents per country, giving a total of 2,507 respondents
5. The Carbon Footprint Calculator participant countries are the national posts of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.

6.  As of July 2026